DOUBLE HONOURS FOR YINKA ABIODUN
At Ulefunta 2019, foremost hotelier and international businessman, Chief Olayinka Abiodun, alongside his wife, Ruth, were honoured with the traditional chieftaincy titles of Bobakeye and Yeye Bobakeye of Akure Kingdom.
The Deji and Paramount Ruler of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, has installed Chief Olayinka Abiodun and his wife as the Bobakeye and Yeye Bobakeye of Akure Kingdom.The event which held at the Deji’s Palace on Saturday September 21, was part of the events marking the 2019’s edition of Ulefunta, an annual ceremony of the revered monarch.
Meanwhile, the Ulefunta is the traditional annual leave period of the monarch which has been in observance from ancient time. According to some senior chiefs in the kingdom, it is a period when the Deji goes into a seven-day traditional seclusion and when in the entire kingdom, there is no celebration or drumbeating of any kind. But the grand finale was the Saturday’s programme which signaled the end of a week – long programme afforded Oba Aladetoyinbo the opportunity to honour deserving people with chieftaincy titles. Chief Olayinka Abiodun, multimillionaire business mogul and philnthropist, foremost community leader and Bobakeye of Iyere Kingdom in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, as well as his darling wife, Chief (Mrs) Ruth Abiodun, herself also the Yeye Bobakeye of Iyere, was among the dignitaries honoured, as they were both conferred with the traditional chieftaincy titles of Bobakeye and Yeye Bobakeye of Akure Kingdom.Extolling the virtues of the new Bobakeye and Yeye Bobakeye, Oba Aladetoyinbo did not mince words when he remarked on their community development passion coupled with their numerous contributions to the economic boost of the state, particularly in Akure Kingdom, as some of the antecedents that recommended the duo for the very rare honour. His Royal Majesty used the opportunity to admonish them to do more in the interest of what posterity has in stock for them.
Earlier before then, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad had flagged off the programme with a lecture which he delivered at the Federal University of Technology (FUTA), Akure, and this was followed by a Jumat service and the grand finale of the annual Deji Football Tournament. It was however in the course of the Cultural Day and a night with Deji at the Palace that the honours were bestowed on deserving indigenes and non-indigenes alike. In attendance at the occasion was an impressive array of traditional rulers, including the Oniyere of Iyere, Owo, Oba Omotunde Alaba Adako,
palace in Akure was well attended by friends and well wishers.
Present at the Palace are Oniyere of Iyere Owo, Oba Omotunde Alaba Adako, who hitherto had conferred same titles on the couple in his own kingdom, notable captains of industries, friends of the celebrant from and outside the country, among other dignitaries.
The double chief thereafter threw his guests, friends and other well wishers to a lavish reception at the Dome Event Centre, Alagbaka, Akure where Ace Fuji Musician, King Osupa Saheed entertained the guests.
Hero magazine lens captured the event live and saw that it was indeed an occasion of double Bobakeye and Yeye Bobakeye honours for Chief and Chief (Mrs) Olayinka Abiodun who have aptly been described by many as special numbers in the music of life.
